A year like this is nice when half the guys on our lease will be out there for the first 2 days and the other half coming out on the weekend. The first round of hunters always get the best shooting, but this year was really good on the weekend too. I bet the local economies really like it when the opener is on a Tuesday because it gives them a few more days where hunters are spending money on hotel rooms, food, and gas. I figure the aggregate dollars are higher when you have hunters that hunted the opener and made a return trip on the weekend. That being said, I definitely feel for the guys who miss out when the opener is during the middle of the week. It's truly one of my favorite days of the year.

Add me to the camp who would like to see it start on the Saturday proceeding Labor Day. We only had 4 out of 10 hunters come out to our lease for the opener. The whole reason we have that lease is for the social aspect of dove hunting. The lease is no good after the first couple of days either, so if you miss the opener and go out there on the weekend, there is a high possibility you will be going home empty handed.

Add me to the camp who would like to see it start on the Saturday proceeding Labor Day. We only had 4 out of 10 hunters come out to our lease for the opener. The whole reason we have that lease is for the social aspect of dove hunting. The lease is no good after the first couple of days either, so if you miss the opener and go out there on the weekend, there is a high possibility you will be going home empty handed.

If your dove lease only has birds on the opener and that's it, why do you have it? The best dove hunting has yet to come, we haven't had a big front yet and it's still 100°.

For many years the dove season opened at noon on the Saturday before Labor Day. There was no morning hunting for dove as legal hours were noon till sundown.

Then it was changed to where you could hunt mornings and later so it opens Sept 1. I do not know why the changes were made but they were.

Dove hunting to me is more of a social event, out with good friends having fun on a low pressure hunt. Ribbing each other about misses and congrats on good shots. Good camp food and times kicking off the new hunting season.

If dove hunting is that big of a deal to you then you make the arrangements necessary to have Sept 1st off. I've hunted every Sept 1st for years and years without issue just because I've made the plans and truth be told I'm not even all that mad at doves. I'm more than ok with it being on a Tuesday and actually prefer it because lots of bozos don't know how to plan. The less people out the better...dove season is full of amateur hour hunters anyway so this also helps to keep those guys away.

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Originally Posted By: wal1809

Dear Lord please bullwhip me for saying this but I agree, Marcstar is in the lead. Please nobody use this as a quote!!!

Add me to the camp who would like to see it start on the Saturday proceeding Labor Day. We only had 4 out of 10 hunters come out to our lease for the opener. The whole reason we have that lease is for the social aspect of dove hunting. The lease is no good after the first couple of days either, so if you miss the opener and go out there on the weekend, there is a high possibility you will be going home empty handed.

If your dove lease only has birds on the opener and that's it, why do you have it? The best dove hunting has yet to come, we haven't had a big front yet and it's still 100°.

We have it because we like to all get together, and it costs us less per hunter than two day hunts. And my best dove hunting has always been on opening day, and the day after... I don't think I have ever gotten a limit during a hunt later in the season.